Lately, my husband and I have been a cleaning kick. When we merged households after our wedding, we didn’t spend much time actually paring down his possessions. We always meant to do it later, but, well, we got lazy. Our problem is never with dirt and grime, it’s just clutter.

So far, the process has gone well and we’ve made noticeable improvements to our dwelling. In addition, we found an old and still good gift card from our wedding and some cash. Sure, it’s not much, but finding some extra money was a fun and unexpected discovery.

So, I’m sure there’s plenty of tips to help people clean their own homes, but here are a few of mine:

Don’t underestimate the value of lots of storage containers. Since it’s January and the time of New Year’s resolutions, there are plenty of storage containers at various retailers. If you look around, you can even find some really great deals. Storage containers can help you add storage space to previously unused spaces, such as under your bed. Shelves simply look better with a stack of containers, instead of a mismatched collection of boxes.

During each session, always work on at least one a visible area that needs cleaning. You may want to tackle your closets or your drawers, but cleaning a visible space, such as your desk or countertop, will help you feel like you really accomplished something. I love walking by some of our now-clean areas and admiring our progress.

Start small. If spending an hour or two cleaning seems daunting, just start with small sessions of 10 or 20 minutes. I find that I always get into a groove once I start, but cleaning in small chunks may work better for you.